Off World Assignment - The Highlands
by Amourwolf
Summary: Queen Elinor saw her daughter in both the archer and the mystery woman. Clintasha.


The queen stopped in her tracks as one of the archers caught her eye; it wasn't his face that caught her attention, no if she were to go on that, she had never seen the man before in her life. But there was something strangely familiar about him.

Elinor watched him string a bow and gasped. The way his fingers curled around the bow, the way he held himself; back straight, arms almost as taut as the bowstring itself. He breathed in and out and again, waiting for the right moment to release the arrow; and the tension in his body. There was a twang and the Queen followed the arrow to the target where it shot straight through two other arrows. He felt her gaze and turned, giving a bow in her direction.

Then his expression changed; she had never seen such pain in someone's eyes before. Elinor gracefully glanced around, spotting her daughter. Merida was firing arrows at another target. She looked back at the archer, watched him blink and swallow with difficulty.

That's when it struck her; the archer had reminded her of Merida. But when she turned to speak to him, the man was gone; only the arrows lodged in the target spoke of his presence.

Later, while riding her horse back into the castle grounds, she had another startling moment. A woman in a plain black riding cloak could have been Merida at Elinor's age. True, her hair was shorter, barely touching her shoulders. But the vibrancy was still there; and then there was her eyes. Elinor spent a great deal looking into those eyes on a daily basis. The woman must have felt the Queen's gaze, for she turned and tugged the hood closer around, dousing the bright flame that was her hair.

It was dark when she put the pieces together. She strode out, lantern in hand, to the field outside the castle walls. The woman was there, sitting on a low stone fence. The man was perched atop it but made no move towards the queen.

The woman closed the distance between them, inclined her head out of respect, then met her eyes. Elinor smiled sadly. "You." It was all she could manage to say.  
"Yes." The woman whispered. "Clint and I are most grateful for what you've done for Merida."  
"We came to rescue her; to bring her back with us." The man, Clint, spoke; Elinor wondered how it was possible to cross such a distance without making a sound.  
"We realized that she belongs here, with you. This is her place." The woman's voice was strong, but her eyes shone with unshed tears.  
"Why?" Elinor asked.  
"Natasha and I have been searching for Merida for a very long time. She was taken from us and ended up here. We're happy she's safe and cared for. Our world is not safe. Our lives are not safe." He paused and sucked in a hasty breath. "Both of us could die any day and there are few who would be able to look after her. Our team mates are in the same situation and we have no living family. I saw how happy she is here," a small smile crept onto his face. "firing arrows off the back of that steed of hers. Chasing ghosts and spirits in the forest. We can't take that away from her. She deserves to be happy."  
"Even at the cost of our own happiness." Natasha finished.  
Elinor recognized their sacrifice; the sacrifice of parents willing to do whatever it took to make sure their child was not only cared for psychically, but mentally and emotionally as well.  
She extended her hand to Natasha and drew her into an embrace. "She takes after you in body and spirit." Then she turned to Clint. He took her hand and kissed it. "But she has your instincts and love of high places."  
"We are in the Highlands, m'lady."  
"Hawkeye." Natasha said, jabbing him in the ribs with her elbow.  
Elinor's eyebrows shot up. "Hawkeye? Merida has hawks."  
Clint's eyes lit up at that. "You hear that Nat? She takes after my namesake." He said in awe. Instead of receiving a harsh stare, he felt Natasha's hand come to rest on his arm. "She does."

As two assassins walked towards the will-o-wisp trail leading into the forest, Queen Elinor called out. "Will I ever see you two again?"  
Natasha looked at Clint. "Perhaps. We might come back for a visit."  
"You're always welcome here."  
They nodded and disappeared into the forest, the trail of blue sprits leading them to the portal back to their own world.  
Clint grabbed Natasha's hand. "We found her."  
Natasha averted her eyes. "I'm sorry for doubting you."  
He dropped a kiss on her forehead. "Don't be. I knew deep down you hadn't really given up hope; why else would you have come on this mission with me?"  
"Clint." She whispered and he could feel all the agony poured into that one word.  
He wiped away the stray tear on her cheek with the pad of his thumb. "All is forgiven. Let's go home. Ladies first?" He extended a hand. Natasha smirked, grabbed his hand and twisted it while aiming a kick at his leg, sending him toppling into the portal. "Yeah I knew that was pushing it." He muttered, pulling her into the blue light with him.

Clint said a silent prayer to any and every deity in this land that Merida doesn't chase her future husband down with a quiver full of arrows in a fit of anger. May the Gods be merciful on him if she does; because his daughter would show no mercy and if she had their resourcefulness, the poor man would be dragged behind the horse by a rope all the way back to the castle.  
And that made him feel good about her future. "She'll be okay." He said.  
Natasha squeezed his hand. "Yes. She is our daughter after all."


End file.
